Chapter 5 (Courtship)
Spyro suddenly feels a tug on his left ankle with a rustle, Cynder looking back at him with an annoyed look. "You coming or not?" Spyro shocked inches forwards after her. Terrador keeping his mouth as the two exit the cell, closing it after them. While leading the way Cynder surveys the rocky tunnel, inspecting every cell as she walks along, seeing most of them are empty. "You guys are really short of prisoners." She blurted out teasing. "Y-yeah we rarely take prisoners, most of the things we fight, we end up killing." Spyro stammered. "Why am I alive then?" She chuckled. Spyro taking his time to answer, as to conceal their intentions. "You are a Dragon, also you have lost your memories after being defeated." He declared to her. "Oh…" She let out while sighing, as she took the first step up the spiraling gray-maroon stairs. Their shackles rustling and clattering with each step they take up the stairs.
Making it up the final stair, both grimace as their ears are hurting. "Who's idea where these!" Snapping at Spyro, shaking the shackles at him. "Stop that! My ears are hurting enough without you clattering them" Snapping back at her. Cynder shocked by his sudden reaction. A sudden growl from Cynders belly breaking the tension between them, Cynder embarrassed turns her head trying to conceal her blush. "Hungry huh?" Spyro giving a smug grin. "N-no!" She snaps with the blush still on her cheeks. "Its okay… you've been without food for three days after all." He says, comforting her. Cynder pouting as he tugs the shackle, beginning the long walk down the hallway towards the main exit.
Cynders metallic claws scraping the wooden oak floor as she starts to walk, taking steps to avoid the noise she moves more central in the hallway to walk on the teal carpet. The scraping turning into slight clinking as she steps on the carpet. The sun lights the hallway through the rectangular parallel windows divided into eight smaller cubes with an arched half-circle at the top of it. The many silver encrusted chandeliers swaying as a gust of wind pusts through the hallway. "What is this place?" She asked. "We call it the dragon temple. This place is the home of the four elder dragons" He explained. "And you are one of them?" She snickered "W-well no… I'm just an orphan they rescued and raised" He stammered as he let out an audible sigh. "Orphan? Seems like you and I are in the same roost, I have no memory of parents." Soothing Spyro.
Taking his first steps outside with Cynder close after, he feels the last gusts of summer wind welcoming him outside. "I know a place we can fish" Spyro nods towards the forest across the field. Stepping down the stone stairs, chains clattering as he does, feeling a tug on the shackles he turns around to see Cynder in awe, as she observes the vast field of bee balm and cone flowers, covering her eyes with colors of red, white and lavender. "I-Its beautiful. Never have I seen so many flowers" Cynder gushing as she slowly turns her head from left to right. "You like it? It's Terradors wild garden" Declared Spyro as he admires his own eye candy of black and red. "Come on theres a path through the middle of it." Spyro nodding slightly to the right, as he launches into a slow trot tugging the chains prompting Cynder to to pick up his pace, her struggling to catch up but eventually placing herself next to him.
Reaching the middle of the field Cynder suddenly disappears out of Spyros vision, him letting out a yelp as the chain flexes to its limit, almost making him fall forwards as the shackle tugs his front leg. "What are you…" Spyro noticing Cynder in anguish holding her back leg in the air. "Oh… right… I forgot about your leg… Can we keep moving or do you want me to carry you?" Cynder turning her head to give a glare. "No… we can keep going" She claims as she steadily limps forward keeping her leg in the air. Spyro gives an audible puff, not being able to watch anymore, he quickly crawls under her belly and lifts her off the ground. "S-stop! I didn't ask for your help" Spyro trudges forward ignoring Cynders complaints. "Put me down!" Spyro puffing as he keeps walking. Cynder eventually admitting defeat, pacifying her pride.
As she calms down, she starts paying more attention to all the different sounds that could be heard in the field. Thousands of bees buzzing, crickets jumping and chirping, Flycatchers in a frenzy hunting them, the occasional Colibri buzzing while collecting nectar. "Where are all the animals?" She inquired. "Deers and rabbits dislike the smell of the bee balm, Terrador told me." He says as he takes a short break. "It acts as a natural barrier to keep the rabbits of our cropland" He explains as he begins trundling toward the tree line at the end of the field. Cynder turning her bobbing head towards the road ahead, seeing the red, green and yellow leaf trees forming a neat line along the outskirts of the field.
As Spyro walks past the first tree, a pleasant burble fills the air. "Finally, the river" He pusts at a loss of breath. "Do you even know how to fish?" Cynder asks doubtfully. Spyro giving a grin as he answers. "Maybe." "While you are back there do you mind catching a bug or two?" Chuckling as he asks. "Why? You planning on eating them?" Spyro doesn't answer as he focuses on making it through the tree line. Cynder snapping her jaw as she tries to catch the passing dragonflies and bees, eventually catching a decently sized dragonfly. "Now what?" She blurts out annoyed. "You'll see" He replies as he approaches the roaring river.
"G-give me the bug" He says as he drops her down gently gasping for air. Cynder spitting out the bug with disgust in her eyes. Spyro grabs ahold of the bug with his maw ripping it into two pieces, then places one of them in a small pond on the side of the river with a lot gentler stream of water, floating it on the surface of the water. He places his head just above the surface waiting patiently as Cynder observes with great interest. In a sudden splash of water Spyro has a fish in his jaws, slowly backing up from the river, inching his head towards Cynder, Cynder grabbing the tail of the still sprattling fish, he lets go with a sigh of relief "Bluesnapper, be careful with the spines…" Before he could finish his sentence, she was already gulping the fish down, pointing her head toward the sky as the fish visually went down her throat. Spyro in shock says nothing as he turns to put the second part of the dragonfly on the surface. And within short, another splash of water as he backs off with another fish in his mouth. This time putting it on the ground, ripping it in half causing the intestines to spill out. "Ladies first" He chuckles as he waits for her to make a choice. She stares at the spasming red striped fish as she makes her choice and gulps down the lower end, leaving the top for Spyro. He rips the head off and, in a swing, swallows the remainder of the Steelhead fish.
As Cynder observes Spyros feeding habits, the sun slowly disappears as gray clouds fills the sky, with a brisk wind blowing in her direction. "We should go back" She says with a worried look on her face. Spyro unfurling his unused wings, testing his strength. "Yeah… not happening." Feeling disappointed, he starts tugging Cynder back towards the tree line, Cynder limping as she follows him. "Slow down!" She whimpers. Spyro turning around to see her struggling, he turns back and pushes his snout under her belly as he puts her on his back, letting out a whimper feeling his strength weakening as he trudges towards the tree line.
He carefully places her down at the base of a large red oak, as the rain starts picking up the pace from a trickle to a pour. "We have no choice but to wait it out" Spyro states as he begins unwhirling his soaked bandages. "This could last for hours." Cynder says worriedly. "Take of your bandages, they are no use when they are wet." Cynder giving a look of disapproval towards Spyro. "Oh right…"
End of chapter 5